


wet grass and smoke

by orphan_account



Series: P5/BNHA Crossover [1]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: All Confidants Are Here, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crossover, Double Agents, Humor, M/M, Slow Burn, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-08 09:23:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20833127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Akechi Goro was going to be a hero even if he had to die trying.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Title from the song Townie by Mitski
> 
> This chapter fell on the too short side, but next updates will be about 2k words or more each.

Akechi Goro was going to be a hero even if he had to die trying. 

* * *

"Hello, everyone! Today let's welcome a very special guest on our show. Please come in, Akechi-kun." The woman on screen smiled warmly at the young boy walking in from behind the stage. Although he smiled back, it was easy to see he was nervous about being in front of the cameras. His shyness was endearing, and you could hear the cooing from the live audience. 

"Thank you for welcoming me." The boy's voice was soft but unwavering. His light brown hair was styled in a slightly messy bob, but instead of unkempt it only gave him an air of childish playfulness.

After a shallow bow to each other, Akechi sat down on the small sofa facing the interviewer. 

"I'm sure you already know why you're here Akechi-kun." The woman's smile gained a teasing edge to it, as did her voice. "After all you're so young but already a hero in training! Tell me, would the you from a few years ago ever imagine you'd be working alongside the police at the tender age of thirteen?"

"Yes." It was only a simple one word answer, but it was enough to turn the calm blue of the interviewer's skin into a deep purple. She was obviously surprised and gaped for a whole second before scooting closer in her seat. 

"Oh is that right, Akechi-kun? But how could you have known? Did one of your classmates have some sort of clairvoyance quirk?" The questions were fired at him, one after the other with no chances of escape. Still the reticence from before was completely gone, and Akechi simply waited for his time to speak.

The camera crew zoomed in on young Akechi's face, just in time for everyone in Japan who had been watching the morning talk show to witness its transformation. Within the determined furrowing of his brows, the shine in his dark eyes, and the tilt of his jaw blossomed not a child but a young man. 

"No, it's nothing of the sort." Akechi's denial was polite, but it was clear he had more to say. "It's only that… I grew up with detective stories. All my classmates wanted to be heroes when they got older, but at the time all I could imagine was solving cases with my very own Watson."

There was a pause and then Akechi laughed, embarrassed. "To be honest, Wanizame-san, my younger self would be much more surprised by my decision to train for the UA Exams. The life of a hero is bound to be pretty dangerous for someone like me." 

Sure enough, like a shark sensing blood in the waters, she leaned closer. “So why did you, Akechi-kun? There’s no doubt you’d be more than welcome into the police force after all your contributions. What happened to change your mind like this?” 

And wasn’t that the question of the hour? Even the audience that until then had let out the appropriate wooed reactions was quiet, waiting for the two people in the center of the studio to get to the real reason for this interview. 

Akechi's face suddenly broke into a bashful grin. It was filled with such childish delight that it quickly threw away the image of maturity beyond years that his previous look gave to those watching. With a slight blush on his cheeks, he answered. "I guess I just finally found my hero." And after that he politely refused to elaborate on who had been able to inspire him so, leaving the presenter and all the people at home wondering on who it could be. 

* * *

Two years later, with an unseen bitter smile tugging at the corner of his lips, Akechi Goro faced the hologram of a skeletal All Might. He was still as tall, but the lack of bulk made his former booming voice lose its grandiosity. Yet his wide grin full of promises was still the same. It stretched uncomfortably across his gaunt face as the former hero gave Goro his congratulations for entering UA with top marks. 

Goro found it disgusting. 

Nevertheless, everything was going according to plan. He was going to enter UA and he was going to make friends with all his classmates. He'd be a face full of solidarity and open ears. He'd make himself indispensable in their lives. 

And then he'd betray them when they least expected it.

He was a professional villain after all. 


	2. Kurusu Akira

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how frequent the updates will be, but I will try to upload at least once a week!  
Like I promised, have a longer chapter!

Akechi Goro's first day of school had started well enough. 

His new uniform had been ironed and laid out on a chair just the night before, his hair was styled in its usual business casual manner, and his toast didn't burn when he attempted a real breakfast for once.

Goro considered testing fate and taking the subway for a few seconds, only to shake his head and make his way outside the one bedroom apartment. It was only two short flights of stairs before he reached his bike, which was parked in its usual spot resting against the stairs railing. 

The apartment complex he lived in was in a quaint little neighborhood, neither in the heart of Tokyo’s bustling center nor in the rundown outskirts filled with lowlifes. Truly its location had been carefully chosen, and Goro knew his neighbors would stay quiet about his presence to the media, if only so they could maintain good relations with the second coming of the Detective Prince. 

So it was with an almost carefree mind that Goro took off to the direction of Mustafu. Almost because, while he didn't have to worry about any mobs of fans or reporters trying to catch his attention yet, Goro's thoughts were a whirlwind of possible scenarios he'd have to wade through if he wanted to make a good first impression. 

Should he arrive sooner than anyone else? No. Goro still remembered the way his classmates whispered "try hard" or "teacher's pet" behind his back in the beginning of middle school, before his rising reputation promptly shut them up. It'd be best to walk in when there were already a few students inside. Although it wouldn't look good if Goro was caught waiting in front of the class door, listening for the cue of an appropriate moment. "Creepy" was not a label he wanted to land himself with. 

It was tempting to just throw all caution to the wind and rely on improvisation, but Goro knew the importance of through planning. He had to have the perfect strategy, everything he’s worked so hard for until now relied on him building… friendships with his classmates. His mission was total integration in a regular heroic school life. Without “going native” of course. Not that Shido had to worry about that happening, of course. Goro was one hundred percent loyal, body and soul. 

“Heh, right.” Letting out a quiet, amused laugh escape from his lips, Goro relaxed a bit more in his seat as he passed through residential areas that gradually transformed into your typical image of busy metropolis. His musings had brought him close to his destination without him noticing, his legs working on automatic as Goro evaded cars and pedestrians alike. 

* * *

It was only a few more minutes before he was standing at the front gates of UA, trying to not let himself feel dwarfed by the sheer size of its entrance. Goro reminded himself it was a deliberate power play by the school founders, to stand tall and proud in the face of villain society and its attacks. It still took him a moment to gather himself, but judging by the quiet laugh coming from behind him, Goro’s gobsmacked stare had been caught by someone. 

Goro turned his head, fast and sharp, his lips automatically lifting up and eyes crinkling into a polite but blank expression. All the while he vehemently started swearing inside. His own inner torment had masked the emotions he’d usually feel at the approach of people. 

A passive, always active but still rather weak empathy quirk. That was what the quirk specialist had told his mother when he woke up on his fourth birthday and couldn’t stop crying. While he had trained it enough as to not be overwhelmed by large groups of people by the time he was eight, Goro’s quirk still refused to turn itself off. 

It was a blessing in disguise, as Goro had soon found out. He’d never figure out how ugly the real world was if he wasn’t able to feel all the disgusting things adults hid behind pleasant faces. As soon as executives found out about his quirk, they dropped any pretenses and made their demands. After all, there was no need for playing nice when the kid could look past them and had no real support system to begin with. Other people went through the more roundabout route and only talked to him through screens. 

It was still a mild relief for Goro to look at the strange boy behind him and feel nothing but mild amusement coming from him. 

“Yes, what is it? Ah, forgive me. I hadn’t realized I was standing in the middle of the road.” Goro let the smile on his face relax into something a bit more genuine, though the apologetic tilt of his voice couldn’t be further from the truth. He had no reason to feel sorry at all. Starting today Goro was a student of this school. He could stand around all he wanted as long as he wasn’t cutting class. 

“It’s no problem.”

The short answer might’ve been considered rude or even entitled coming from someone else, but Goro was surprised to not find himself offended by it. The emotions coming from him were of calm understanding, as if the boy truly believed Goro’s apologies and wanted to assure him no harm was done in the simplest terms. Naive, most certainly, but still more genuine than Goro ever experienced in his daily life. 

Slowly Goro turned his body so they were facing each other, discreetly analyzing the stranger’s clothes in an attempt to place him in a classroom. He was surprised once again as he recognized the pins declaring him a Hero Course student. Perhaps he’d been a bit biased, but the plain boy with frizzy hair and thick rimmed glasses did not fit Goro’s mental image of Japan’s next top generation of heroes. There was no obvious genetic deviation that marked a particularly strong quirk, and the uniform layers hid any bulk he might have. He was a puzzle in his normality and Goro was seized with the sudden urge to tear him apart. 

Goro shook his head. This boy was a possible future classmate. If not 1-A, then 1-B. After all Goro had already memorized the names and quirks of all his upperclassmen. 

“Kurusu Akira.”

The soft voice startled Goro out of his thoughts, making him realize he had just been staring at the boy without saying anything for who knows how long. He could feel his eyes widen and without his permission his mouth let out a cracked “what?”. 

“My name. It’s Kurusu Akira.” 

Another wave of amusement. Forget everything nice Goro had thought. This boy, Kurusu Akira, was a bastard. 

“Ah, of course.” Goro’s smile felt just a little tight around the edges, but he managed to mold it into something respectful. “I figure the truth will come out soon enough, so there’s no problem telling you my name. I’m Akechi Goro. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kurusu-kun.” 

“I know.” 

The once charming short answers were no longer intriguing, but felt like sharp and pointed provocations. Goro noticed Kurusu’s amusement was no longer coming in waves, but instead cloaked him like an aura. He was obviously enjoying watching Goro struggle with small talk. Well, Goro wouldn’t let him have the advantage for long.

“Oh? Are you a fan, Kurusu-kun?” 

“No, I just watched you on TV a couple of times.” Kurusu’s until now even toned voice took a turn for the sinful, his eyes deliberately roaming up and down his body. He smirked, showing his sharp teeth and Goro had to revize his observation of no obvious genetic deviation. “I must confess some people look much better in real life.” 

If he were anyone else, Goro was sure he’d be melting in a puddle or at least blushing heavily. But he could feel no lust coming from the teen, only the same sharp amusement that wondered how far Kurusu could push. So all Goro did was brighten his own smile into the fakest grin known to mankind. “Thank you for the compliment. I’ve absolutely never heard this one before.” 

Kurusu’s dirty grin relaxed back into what seemed to be his default blank face. Goro felt his surprise, which was quickly followed by a strange burst of happiness. It was Goro’s turn to be confused. Why did Kurusu feel joy at being rebuked? Was he some sort of masochist?

There was no time for Goro to question him about it, Kurusu already making his move and walking past him towards the school gates. Kurusu stopped and glanced behind his back, asking without words why Goro wasn’t following him like some sort of besotted puppy. 

‘I’m here to make friends. I’m here to make friends. I’m here to make friends.’ Goro repeated this mantra as he nodded and hurriedly matched his steps to Kurusu’s. If he couldn’t survive a few teasing words before he even stepped a foot inside the school then Goro had greatly overestimated his own abilities. He’d just have to endure. 

* * *

It only took them a few wrong turns before they were facing a blue door, the words 1-A etched on the sign above it. Apparently Kurusu was indeed his classmate, and Goro thanked all the deities he didn’t believe in that Goro had decided to play along with him instead of giving his target the cold shoulder. That would’ve been so hilariously counterproductive that it was almost worth whatever punishment Shido had in store for his failure. Almost. 

“Well then, let’s go Kurusu-kun?” 

Kurusu only nodded, all his words apparently exhausted on their conversation outside. His calm presence could still be felt in the back of Goro’s head. Although Goro would rather die than admit it, it was the only thing helping him maintain his composure as he slid the door open and was immediately assaulted by the emotions of twelve other teenagers at once. 

The door must’ve been sound proof because beyond the static of so many stranger’s hearts it was impossible not to hear all the yells coming from the center of the room. 

“Hey, man! Quit staring at her like that.” 

“What do you mean staring? I’m not staring at all!”

“Dude! I could see you ogling her for a full minute. Stop it before I punch those big eyes of yours.”

“Ryuji! Stop it! You’re making a scene!!”

“What the hell? Are you really just going to let him do whatever he wants to you?”

“I told you, small brains. I was not staring at anyone!” 

* * *

Goro had stepped into a war zone. The people not involved were either ignoring the whole thing by looking out of the window or into their phones, or placing bets on who’d win in the upcoming fist fight. 

From what he could tell, the bottle blond boy - Ryuji - was trying to protect an increasingly angry girl from the sexual advances of… a cat? Well, no. Not a cat. 

Goro had seen all kinds of mutant type quirks in his experience with the police. However most, if not all of them still had humanoid proportions. The student in front of him may have had fur, cat ears and tail, but their head was oblong like a watermelon and their face looked almost drawn on. They only reached Goro’s hips in height and their overall figure was straight out of a children’s cartoon. 

Except no children’s cartoon had a sexual harasser as a character as far as he knew. 

Before Goro could step in and flash them his badge, Kurusu lept out from behind him and asked in a cold tone of voice. “What’s going on?”

It was like night and day, the way Ryuji’s stormy expression cleared away and he exclaimed “Akira!” in a surprised but relieved tone of voice. The girl who’d stubbornly tried to calm the vulgar boy down also smiled when she noticed who’d come closer. 

So Kurusu was already friends with some of his classmates? By the way they came closer to him like he was their savior, Goro realized he had competition when it came to winning the hearts of everyone at UA. And Goro was already losing. 

Kurusu Akira, huh? Goro would have to keep a close eye on this one. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm uploading the fills out of order, but I do plan on writing every prompt from Goro Week. This one is supposed to be AU/Crossovers/Canon Divergence. 
> 
> Please check out my brand new [P5 Discord Server](https://discord.gg/EkSj735) and join me in my love for Akechi Goro


End file.
